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Longer term loans limit the frequency of trade, and those that do trade, find themselves upside down. "Nothing down" is no longer an option with alot of lenders!

It's not uncommon for a person's car payment to include what was owed on the last two cars!

Some of the non-American auto companies are also reporting that sales are down and that times are tough.

Once credit is blotched from a foreclosed home.....this starts to take folks out of the new car market as well..as no credit....even those with great credit are finding that they now have to come up with larger down payments, which they always do not have.

There are a zillion reason why the auto market is down...it's not just the cost of labor...cars are simply not selling.

Until both the UAW and the Big 3 "get their game face on" they will continue to suffer!

I've been on this old hot rock a long time, and one thing that has always been true is that public opinion changes from time to time. And public opinion is mabey the most powerful force in America, right or wrong.

As I watched the real estate market after 9/11, I was completely taken aback when prices began their upward climb. At first we all thought it was jobs and demand that was driving the market. Then we all thought it was the cheap money that was available. Then we realized that it was the government's actions of the 90s that caused this very unusual and very non-traditional upward spiral in buying habits.

One other thing we all noticed, was an underlying fear in the public's faces. It was just behind their eyes, but you could see it. Were we going to be hit again? Was it going to be close to MY home this time? Everyone felt it, but few were talking about it.

Then when the liberal media began to criticize President Bush for everything from being a poor public speaker to causing Katrina, these same 'fearful people', began to circle the wagons. They began to think, "Was any of this news true? If it is, we're in for a tough time ahead!"

In 2002, the media was telling them they should be fearful and that this real estate bubble was going to burst. There was no mention of how safe we were or how prosperous we all were, just be afraid!

Then the media began telling us that our economy was in terrible shape and we were in a recession. Other countries hated us because of the policies of Mr. Bush. We began to hear the phrase of 'The Failed Bush Policies' for the first time. This was back in 2005.

Now, people are scared to death!
They were afraid after 9/11, and the media has been telling them for so long to BE AFRAID, that they now ARE VERY AFRAID! They're afraid of their own shadow!

Of course the liberal media has an answer for all this... It's George's fault. Mr. Bush has been spreading fear and loathing about the Muslim terrorists, so that's why you feel the way you do... not because of what the media has been saying... NO, no no. It couldn't be the media's fault.

Now suddenly, in 2008, we have all these companies that are disintegrating before our very eyes. How is this possible? How could huge, long revered companies just crumble at our feet like this? Because they are afraid too! They have been drinking the koolaid. They believe the end is near and they want our help.

It's time to buckle up America and remember just who the hell you are!
We're not a nation of whiners!

We're a nation of fighters!
We're a nation of riflemen! We're a nation of people who get things done!

This is not the Great Depression revisited, this is merely a bunch of whiney, scared little rabbit people constantly wringing their hands over the news dejour!
Get over it America and get back to work!

Secular militants, not Christian conservatives, currently strive to transform America in a way our founders would neither recognize nor approve.

The American car companies continue to miss the boat when it comes to the market place.

American companies and Overseas companies both move to the southern US for the same reasons....less manufacturing costs, and this includes labor and benefits.

I love American cars. I just don't like to see our gov't getting bigger by jumping into the car business.

I don't know how they miss the boat. We have many more models in the domestic sector. Where are the big three "missing the Boat?"
Each company may in fact have too many offerings. Some of the problem may be perception. In the 70s 80s, domestic cars were crap. Now they are very good. Still, I hear people disparage domestic cars. (I like rear drive V8's but choices are getting limited).
If it costs less to manufacture foreign and domestic cars in the south, why? Answer that question and the Big Three can fix their problems.

I believe the answer is obvious, UNIONS.

Last edited by AmPat; 12-18-2008 at 10:06 PM.

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.C. S. LewisDo not ever say that the desire to "do good" by force is a good motive. Neither power-lust nor stupidity are good motives. (Are you listening Barry)?:mad:Ayn Rand

I don't know how they miss the boat. We have many more models in the domestic sector. Where are the big three "missing the Boat?"
Each company may in fact have too many offerings. Some of the problem may be perception. In the 70s 80s, domestic cars were crap. Now they are very good. Still, I hear people disparage domestic cars. (I like rear drive V8's but choices are getting limited).
If it costs less to manufacture foreign and domestic cars in the south, why? Answer that question and the Big Three can fix their problems.

I believe the answer is obvious, UNIONS.

Like I said the Jap autoworkers are also union.....but American unions are a problem. So are alot of the union workers, just like alot of non-union workers can be a problem.

The Big 3 have not been the best ran companies from the top....

Sure they have great cars and alot to choose from, but there are also full lots of big old gas sucking SUV's that no one wanted to buy for the past 18 months...but they kept making them!

It really puts a burden on the dealerships...alot of costs get passed on to them....I have several friends that own dealerships, on top of my own years in the business. I also have a very good friend that had to sell his mom and pop family owned dealership...it's a very rough market and alot of changes need to be made.

Getting rid of the clock watching old school union folks is a good start, but alot more needs to be done!

Trust me, I know all about the crap that the US auto companies put out in the 80's..cars less then a year old were starting to rust left and right....while piles of crap they were! But I also remember seeing alot of Toyota trucks with boxsides rusting out around the spot weldsl during this same time...they were not too much better.